Monthly Archives: November 2013

August 25th

21 Thursday Nov 2013

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No major events.

Birthdays:
1530 – Ivan Vasilyevich is born in Russia to Grand Prince of Moscow Vasili III and Elena Glinskya. When Ivan was just 3 years old, he succeeded his father as Grand Prince of Moscow, after Vasili’s sudden death. In 1547, he was crowned as Tsar of all the Russia’s as Ivan IV. Throughout his reign, he was able to successfully navigate political changes in his nation, however, his economic policies were disastrous for Russia. It would be his harsh nature and quick temper that helped give him the nickname “Ivan the Terrible”. At one point in 1581, his temper got the best of him, and he hit his son, also named Ivan, over the head with a staff, killing the young man. This left his younger son, Feodor, as his heir. Ivan had also been married eight times, and through his children with his first wife, Anastasia Romanovna, the Romanov family would come to rule Russia.

1707 – Louis I of Spain is born in Madrid as the son of King Phillip V and Maria Luisa of Savoy. In 1722, Louis was forced to marry the French Princess Louise Elisabeth d’Orleans. The marriage was unhappy, there would be no children, and Louise was said to be so unhappy, she would refuse to see her husband. His father abdicated in 1724, but Louis’ reign would be short lived, as he died of smallpox just 7 months later. Phillip, his father, returned to the throne.

1786 – The future Ludwig I of Bavaria is born to Maximillian I Joseph and Augusta Wilhelmine of Hesse-Darmstadt. He succeeded his father in 1825 and ruled until his abdication in 1848. In 1810, he married Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, and the following celebration was the first Oktoberfest. His policies got more and more repressive as time went on, until revolution struck and forced him to abdicate. His remaining years were spent on cultural projects and buildings, during the reign of his son, Maximilian II.

1845 – Ludwig II of Bavaria is born in Munich. He was the eldest son of Maximilian II of Bavaria and Marie of Prussia. He became King at age 18, after his father died suddenly in 1864. His youth and dashing good looks made him very popular. Ludwig was a great patron of the arts, including composer Richard Wagner. He also began construction on palaces throughout Bavaria, including the famed Neuschwanstein Castle, which he paid for out of his own pocket. However in 1886, he was deposed by his ministers, who had him declared insane by doctors who never examined him. The day after he was moved, he was found dead in waist deep water, with no water in his lungs. He was 40 years old at his death, childless, and succeeded by his actually insane brother, Otto, with their uncle as regent.

Deaths:
1270 – King Louis IX of France died in Africa while fighting on the Eighth Crusade. He was the son of Louis VIII and Blanche of Castile, and became King in 1226. Louis was later canonized by the Catholic church and he is he only French king to be Sainted. Because of his veneration, he is pictured as the quintessential Christian monarch, and many cities, including the American city of Saint Louis, Missouri.

1482 – Margaret of Anjou dies in France at age 52. She would be married to Henry VI of England in 1445. The would have one son, called Edward of Westminster. Margaret also became one of the principal figures in the War of the Roses, when she acted as regent for her husband during his bouts of mental instability. She helped to lead the Lancastrian forces before her husband’s overthrow, and after his restoration in 1470. However, after the defeat of the Lancasters in 1471. She was captured and later ransomed back to France. She was vilified throughout most of history and even referred to as a “She-wolf of France” by Shakespeare in the plays about her husband.

1699 – Christian V of Denmark died in Copenhagen.He was the son of Frederick III and Queen Sophie Amalie and the father of the future Frederick IV. He was quite popular with the common people for allowing them into state service. Christian is considered to be one of the more poorly educated Danish kings, a title which he seemed to be okay with. He lists his primary interests in his memoirs as “hunting, love-making, war and maritime affairs”.

1942 – Prince George, Duke of Kent is killed in battle during World War II. He was the son of King George V and Queen Mary. He was the younger brother to Edward VIII and George VI, and thus the paternal uncle to Queen Elizabeth II. He was given the title Duke of Kent in 1934, and it would pass to his son, Prince Edward, at his death.

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August 24th

10 Sunday Nov 2013

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Events:

1200 – King John of England marries his second wife, the teenaged Isabella of Angouleme. The marriage would last until John’s death, and produce several children, including the future Henry III.

1561 – William the Silent, Prince of Orange and Stadtholder of the Netherlands marries his second wife, Anna of Saxony. The married would only last nine years, until William died. The marriage was unhappy, but they managed to have five children.

Birthdays:

1113- Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou is born in France. At age 15, he was married to Matilda, former Holy Roman Empress, and daughter of King Henry I of England. She was 11 years his senior, and the marriage was unhappy. Geoffrey fought for his wife’s cause during The Anarchy, a civil war in which she pressed her claim to rule England. He died suddenly at age 38, but his son, Henry, would go on to be King Henry II of England.

1198 – Alexander II of Scotland is born to William I Ermengarde de Beaumont. In 1214, he succeeded his father as King of Scots, after spending time in the English court, even being knighted by King John. He even married John’s daughter, Joan of England. However, he would spend part of his reign at war with his brother in law, Henry III of England. Sadly Joan died early, and they had no children. Alexander remarried in 1239, and with his second wife, Marie de Coucy, they would have the future Alexander III. He died in 1249, at age 50, while in the Hebrides, trying to reclaim them from Norway.

1758 – Duchess Sophia Frederica of Schwerin-Mecklenburg is born in Germany. In 1774, she married Danish Hereditary Prince Frederick. They were not unhappy, and mostly friendly to each other, but carried on affairs. Sophia and Frederick had five children to survive, including the future King Christian VIII. She died in 1794, at the age of 36.

1772 – William I of the Netherlands was born in The Hague. His parents were William V, Prince of Orange, and last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, and Princess Wilhelmina of Prussia. As a young man, he served in the Dutch military against the First French Republic. However, in 1795, they were defeated, and his family was overthrown and forced to flee. Later, he returned to the continent and fought against the French again, during the Napoleonic Wars. In 1815, after the defeat and overthrow of the Bonaparte family, who briefly ruled the Netherlands, he was installed as King of the Netherlands. His rule was eventful, and saw the Belgian revolution and many constitutional changes, and the conservative William abdicated in 1840, three years before his death.

1865 – The future Ferdinand I of Romania is born in Sigmarigen, Germany. In 1886, after his father renounced his claim, Ferdinand became heir to his uncle, Carol I of Romania. He was not forced to convert to Eastern Orthodoxy from Catholicism, but was required by Parliament to raise his children in the state religion. He was excommunicated for this, but later re-admitted to the church. In 1893, he married the indomitable Marie of Edinburgh, also known as Marie of Romania. In 1914, he became King, and ruled through the whole of World War I, fighting against the German House of Hohenzollern, who Ferdinand was related to, to great offense of Wilhelm II of Germany. He passed away in 1927, leaving the Romanian throne to his young grandson, Michael I, the last king of Romania.

No major deaths.

August 23rd

03 Sunday Nov 2013

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Events:
2007 – The remains of a boy and girl were found near Yekaterinburg, Russia. DNA testing later confirmed that the remains were of Alexei Romanov, Tsarevitch of Russia, and one of his sisters, probably Maria or Anastasia. The remains of Alexei’s parents, Nicholas II and Alexandra, as well as his other 3 sisters had already been found.

Birthdays:
1754 – The future King Louis XVI of France is born at the Palace of Versailles. He became Dauphin after the death of his father, and King after the death of his grandfather, Louis XV, when he was just 19. He ruled through a time of great upheaval in France, which culminated with his arrest and overthrow in 1792, as part of the French Revolution. While Dauphin, he married Austrian Archduchess Maria Antonia, know now as Marie Antoinette. Of their four children, only their oldest daughter would survive into adulthood, and both Louis and Marie were executed in 1793.

1836 – Archduchess Marie Henriette of Austria is born in Hungary, as a granddaughter of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II. In 1853, she married Prince Leopold of Belgium, the future Leopold II. The marriage was a political move, as Belgium was trying to bolster the legitimacy and popularity of its monarchy, by aligning itself with a well-established family, like the Habsburgs. However the marriage was unhappy, and despite their four children, they lived apart for many years. In 1865, they became King and Queen of Belgium. Her daughters would perform court duties in her absence, and Marie died away from Brussels in 1902, at age 66.

Deaths:
1387 – King Olaf II of Denmark and IV of Norway died at age 16. Through him, Denmark and Norway had become united as one kingdom and would remain that way until 1814. He had been King of Denmark since age 5, after the death of his grandfather, and King of Norway since 1380, after the death of his father. Olaf’s mother, Margaret, had served as his regent, and would take over rule of both nations after his death.

Have a good one!